Slow-closing doll&#39;s eye assembly



Nov. 19, 1957 v, D, KIRBY 2,813,372

SLOW-CLOSING'DOLLS EYE ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 25, 1954 INVENTOR. V726. D. IORBY United States PatentO SLOW-CLOSING DOLLS EYE ASSEMBLY Virgil D. Kirby, New York, N. Y., assignor to Arranbee Doll Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation ofNewYork This invention relates to dolls eye assemblies, and more particularly to a dolls eye structure which will simulate the gradual falling asleep of a reclining doll. Previously known movable dolls eyes have been characterized by a rapid opening and shutting operation. When the doll is placed in the reclining position, the eyes immediately snap shut. Where devices have been provided which would simulate a slow closing of the eyes, they have been extremely complicated, and prone to operational failure.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a dolls eye structure which will remain open when the doll is placed in the reclining position, and thereafter gradually close as the doll is rocked gently to and fro.

, Another object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive movable dolls eye structure.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a dolls eye structure which will remain operative, despite hard usage.

A feature of the present invention is its use of a minimum number of parts to elfectuate the desired result.

A further feature of this invention is its small size, enabling it to be placed within an inexpensive dolls head.

The invention consists of the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as herein illustrated, described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, are illustrated two forms of embodiment of the invention, and in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a reclining dolls head, illustrating one form of embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view, taken on line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a vertical fragmentary section similar to Figure 1, showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a sectional view, taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view of the eye actuating mechanism shown in the second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, and specifically to Figures 1 and 2, indicates a dolls head of conventional molded construction, having therein eye openings and a movable eye and eye actuating assembly 12. The assembly 12 may be of a fairly conventional type which effects movement of the eyes by means of a weight 13 secured to an arm 13a which in turn is attached to the eyeball portion of the eye assembly 12, said eyeball being pivotally attached within the dolls head, so that the swinging of the weight 13, brought about by the change in position of the dolls head 10, will cause the eyeball to effect the appearance of opening and closing. Movement of the weight 13 in the opening direction may be governed by the use of a stop 11 carried by the head 10.

A transverse rod 14 is located within the dolls head and supported at each end thereof by the said dolls head ice.

10. The rod 14 extends from a point just rearwardly of the chin of the doll to the top of the head in such manner that when the doll is in the reclining position, as shown in Figure 1, the rod is diagonally disposed in the nature of an inclined plane.

Slidably mounted upon the rod 14 is a somewhat weighted pendulum-like member 15, best shown in Figure 2. The member 15 is somewhat lJ-shaped and is suitably bored so that it may slide along the rod 14. The bore 25 of the pendulum-like member 15 is of a size that when the rod 14 is disposed at the inclined angle during the placement of the doll in the reclining position, there will be a slight binding action of the member 15 upon the surface of the rod 14. Thus, although the pendulumlike member 15 can slide upon the rod 14, it is retarded in its sliding motion by the aforesaid binding action.

The substantially U-shaped structure of the pendulumlike member 15 can be seen to provide depending arms 16 which extend in the direction of the back of the dolls head. The operation of the depending arms 16 will hereinafter be more fully set forth.

A bearing nub 28 completes the construction of the pendulum-like member 15. The bearing nub 28 extends laterally from the member 15 and is integraltherewith. The nub 26 serves to engage the surface of the weight 13, so that the member 15 can control the swing of the weight 13 and thereby effect the operation of the eye assembly 12. The dolls head 10 is provided with a resilient member in the nature of a rubber band 17, which is stretched between two spaced rods 18 and 19, secured to the dolls head and body respectively, as shown in.

Figures 1 and 2. The stretched rubber band 17 is disposed in a path which brings it between the depending arms 16 of the pendulum-like member 15, and also in line with the rod 14.

The operation of the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2 can be observed from a consideration of the foregoing description. When the doll is elevated to the upright position the pendulum-like member 15 slides along the rod until it bears against the weight 13 of the eye assembly 12, the weight 13 having swung downwardly until it comes to rest against the stop 11. When the doll is placed in the reclining position, the member 15 will tilt in a clockwise direction upon the rod, so that it binds thereon, as previously described.

Thereafter, as the doll is rocked from side to side in simulation of rocking a baby to sleep, the pendulumlike member 15 will swing upon the rod 14, so that its depending arms 16 alternately contact the rubber bandlike member 17. During the time when the member 15 is out of contact with the resilient member 17, it tends to slide downwardly along the rod and releases the weight member 13, so that it can swing in a clockwise direction and slowly close the eyes of the doll. The resilient member 17 serves as a brake to the sliding action of the pendulum-like member 15, so that the eyes will close slowly as a result of continued rocking of the doll. The member 17 also limits the amount of lateral travel of the member 15, so as to further retard the downward movement of the member 15.

The pendulum-like member 15 is preferably formed of some non-ferrous material such as tin, antimony, lead, or the like, which, while slippery enough to move down the rod 14, will not be hard enough to cause rapid sliding thereof. The rod 14 is preferably made of brass, cadmium or stainless steel, and has a uniform diameter throughout, to provide a constant and controlled bearing surface for the pendulum-like member 15.

Referring to the second embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5, it will be understood that the same dolls head 10 and eye actuating assembly 12, previously referred to, is employed, and that the modification consists of the structure by which the weight 13 "down along 'the rod until it comes to rest upon the outer is retarded in its clockwise travel. The retarding structure in the second embodiment consists of a rod 14 disposed within the dolls head in the manner previously described, and having thereon asliding member 26 which is: suitably bored, as previously set forth, to permit ltlto slide along the rod 14 with a slight binding action. The sliding member 26 is disposed so as to bear against the surface of the weight member 13.

A weight guide and weight retarding member 21 is secured as by soldering at a point near the end of the rod 14 adjacent the top of the dolls head. The retarding member 21 extends in the direction of the dolls neck and is forked so as to provide parallel arms 22 and 23, which are disposed on either side of the sliding member 26. The arms 22, 23 are covered by rubber sleeves 24 so as to provide a braking surface thereon. The arms 22, 23 also limit the amplitude of the oscillation of the sliding member 20.

The operation of the second embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment. After the doll has been placed in the reclining position the eye closing structure will be in the position shown in Figure 3. As the doll is rocked from side to side in a cradle motion the sliding member 26 will work its way down the rod 14, being intermittently retarded in its progress by the forked retarding member 21. By the time the sliding member 26 has reached the end of its travel, which will be governed by the position of a stop member 27 upon the rod 14, the dolls eyes will have assumed the closed position due to the clockwise swing of the weight 13 as it is released by the sliding member 26.

When the doll is picked up, the weight member 13 will swing downwardly until it comes to rest upon the stop member 11 and the sliding member 26 will slide surface of the weight member 13.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that there has been provided an inexpensive, trouble-free actuating eye mechanism which will simulate the appearance of a doll slowly drowsing off to sleep.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

A sleep simulating doll including a rigid, hollow doll head having eye openings in the face portion thereof, eyeball members rotatably mounted within the head so as to be visible through the said openings, a control arm coupled at one end to the rotatable eyeball members,

an eyeball actuating Weight carried upon the free end of said arm, a rod secured at one end to the lower forward part of the dolls head and at its opposite end to the upper rearward portion of said head, a swingable member slidably carried by the rod so as to be in the path References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,244,799 Trost Oct. 30, 1917 1,396,873 Parsons Nov. 15, 1921 1,775,580 Woolgar Sept. 9, 1930 2,159,293 Schaeffer May 23, 1939 

